Rail-support.



No. 705,955. I Patented July 29, I902,

c. E. NEUBAUERL RAIL SUPPBRT.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1902.)

me Model.

UNITEn STAT-13s PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. NEUBAUER, OF VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR .OF ONE-HALF TO ALFRED BURKE, IDA KRAUSE, AND JOSEPH KARL, OF VIRGINIA, MINNE- SOTA, AND FRANK JULIUS DAHLBERG, OF BUI-IL, MINNESOTA.

RAlL-SU PPO RT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent NO. 705,955, dated July 29, 1902. Application filed February 10, 1902- Serialll'o. 93,406. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LOARL E. NEUBAUER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Virginia, in the county of'St. Louis and 5 State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-supports; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device of this character adapted more especially to uphold the rails at their joints-that is, to prevent them from sagging, due to the pounding of the wheels passing over the joints or by reason of the whereby time and labor necessarily involved in making frequent repairs are saved.

The improved rail-support includes in its construction a beam situated below the rails and aplurality of rail-supports rising from the same, and one of said rail-supports is adjustable, and in the present case this adj ustable support is situated under the joint for the purpose of leveling the same, and the stress applied by the rolling-stock traveling over the joint is transmitted to theintermediate support and thence to the beam and from the latter to the supports at opposite sides of the adjustable support, and hence to the rails at points remote from the joint, such strain being thereby so distributed as not to cause dropping of the rails at their junction. The beam is situated below the track and is housed in a casing, the casing being of greater width than the beam, so that the beam can be moved sidewise for the purpose of securing the putting of the rails into proper position relative to the previously-laid rails on the opposite side of the track, and means are provided for preventing the collapse of the casing.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification, in whichr I Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the rail-support, showing the manner of using the same. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken centrally through the intermediate or adjustable support. Fig. 3 is a similar View taken through a rail in adjacence to one of the end supports.

earth washing away from beneath the latter,

Like characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

I desire at this point to state that the invention is not limited to the exact construction represented in the drawings and hereinafter described in detail, for many changes may be made within the'scope of the claims appended was following description.

In thedrawings I have shown a portion of a railway-track, which may be either steam or electric, or, in fact, any other kind, and the two abutting rails are denoted by 2 and 3.

The rail-support includes in its construction a beam, as 4:, of any suitable length, which is situated under the ties a suitable distance. .The beam is inclosed by a casing, as 5, of slightly greater length than said beam, and of greater width than the same, and said casing, which maybe of any desired shape, is shown as being rectangular in cross-section and having an open bottom,and by reason of the latter any water that enters the casing from above can readily escape therefrom through the said open bottom. The casing protects the inclosedbeam from rust and dirt,and the earth'around the casingis tamped down so as to hold said casing in a fixed position, and to prevent such earth from causing the collapse or bending of the casing I provide braces 6 of any suitable number and placed at desired distances apart, and which arefitted between'the side walls of the casing and-held therein by fastenings of some convenient kind. -While the beam and casing are shown as straight, this construction of course would not be adopted in curves; but the beam and casing would be shaped to correspond .to the track or rails at the curves. The beam carries onits upper side a series of vertical supports, as will be hereinafter described, three of them in the present instance being shown, and the intermediate one is adj ustable and is located at the joint between the rails 2 and 3, and it will be remembered that the beam is of less width than the casing, by reason of which said beam'can be moved inwardly or outwardly, as the case may be, so as to bring the rails 2 and 3 into absolute parallelism with similar rails comprising the opposite side of the track. The top of the casing has three perforations, through which a corresponding number of rail-supports, previously briefly alluded to, are adapted to project and which are denoted, respectively, by 1O, 11, and 12, the intermediate support 11 being adjustable. The end supports and 12 are shown as fitted in sockets or seats in the upper side of the beam 4, near the ends thereof, and are held rigidly thereto by means of bolts or analogous fastenings, or these parts may be made in one piece, if deemed desirable in certain cases.

The webs andbases of the rails 2 and 3, at suitable distances from the joint, are gripped by clamps, as 13 and 14, which may be bolted or otherwise fastened to said rails, and the respective halves of the clamping members have depending plates or shanks, as 15 and 16, respectively. The depending plates or shanks of said clamps are situated at opposite sides of the end supports 10 and 12 and are in contact therewith, being united thereto by bolts or equivalent fastening means. It will be seen that the end supports engage the under side of the rails, and they are lo cated, say, at about eight or nine feet from the joint. As the clamps 13 are connected solidly with the rail and their shanks are fastened to the end supports or upright arms 10 and 12, the same are positively held against sidewise motion.

I will now proceed to describe the interme diate support 11. The said intermediate support 11 includes in its organization a screw 17, having a quick pitch, which is made of asize and form best adapted to resist the strains put upon it. The lower end of this screw is socketed into the upper side of the beam 4, substantially centrally between the end supports 10 and 12, and held in place by bolts, although said parts may be otherwise united. The screw 17 receives the longitudinal nut 18, adapted when in its lowermost position to rest upon the annular shoulder 19 at or near the lower end of the screw, the nut being somewhat longer than its screw, it being of polygonal form at 20 near its upper end to receive a wrench or like implement, whereby it can be easily rotated, and thereby elevated,the screw being a right one to secure this result. The nut has at its upper end an enlarged circular head 21, the periphery of which is provided with ratchet-teeth adapted to be engaged by the pawl or detent 22, pivotally supported upon a tie in adjacence thereto. The pawl 22, by engaging the ratchet-teeth of the head 21, prevents the nut 18 from turning, and hence holds said nut in its adjusted or elevated position.

The several supports 10, 11, and 12 are surrounded at or near their bases by plates, as 23, 24:, and 25, which cover the respective holes or perforations 7, 8, and 9, through which said supports extend and prevent the entrance of dirt, &c., to a considerable extent into the inside of the casing 5.

I have not specified any of the parts as be-- ing constructed from any particular material, for I do not consider these points as essential.

The mode of using the device is as follows: First, the clamps 13 and 14 will be connected with the abutting rails 2 and 'oatsuitable distances from the joint. The connected tracks will then be raised about eight or ten inches from the ground, and a ditch of suitable depth and length will be dug under the ties to receive the casing 5. The beam 4 will be then placed in theditch and the casing be slipped over the end supports 10 and 12 and the screw 17, which parts have been previously connected with the beam. The plates 23, 24:, and will then be put on and the braces 6 inserted. The nut 18 will now be applied to its screw 1'7 and run down as far as it will go or until it abuts against the shoulder 19. The rails will now be lowered until they rest upon the end supports or arms 10 and 12, after which the depending plates 15 and 16 of the clamps 13 and 14 will be connected to said end supports. The earth can then be packed around the casing 5, so as to hold the same in a fixed position, and the nut 18 can be rotated, as previously described, to level the rails atthe joint, and if said rails should not happen to be alined with the rails upon the opposite side of the track this can be easily accomplished by moving them sidewise, it being remembered that the beam is narrower than the casing to secure this result. When the track is level,

the pawl 22 will hold the nut 18 against re-.

verse rotation, and consequently descending movement.

The device hereinbefore described is inex pensive and is highly eflicient. By its use the strain of rolling-stock passing oyer a joint is evenly distributed, so as to prevent sagging of the joint, and said device can be readily installed.

Having described the invention, what I claim is 1. In arail-support, a beam, said beam having rail-supports at its ends, and an intermediate adjustable joint-support.

2. Ina rail-support, abeam having rail-supports and a screw intermediate said rail-supports, and a nut on said screw, said nut and screw constituting ajoint-support.

3. In a rail-support, abeam, said beam hav* ing rail-supports at its ends, and an interme* diate adj ustablejoint-support,combined with a casing for inclosing the beam, said casing having openings through which said supports project.

4. In a rail-support, a beam having rail-supports and an intermediate adjustable jointsupport, a casing for inclosing said beam, said casing being of greater width than the beam, and having openings through which said sup ports project.

5. In a rail-support, a beam having rail-supports and a screw between said rail-supports, and a nut on said screw, the nut being pro- 10 said perforations.

7. In a rail-support, a beam having rail-supports and an intermediate adjustable jointsupport, and clamps adapted to be fastened to the rails and having depending plates rigidly connected with said rail-supports.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CARL E. NEUBAUER.

Witnesses:

J. R. JAMEs, HERMAN ZIMMERMAN. 

